Carton and blank for making same

Claim 2

A carton comprising, a bottom wall, a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, a plurality of tabs each extending outwardly from and being arranged coplanar with an associated sidewall, a top wall foldably connected to one of said plurality of sidewalls, a plurality of extension flaps each foldably connected to said top wall along an associated fold line, each of said extension flaps being arranged against the exterior top portion of an associated sidewall to prevent outward bulging thereof, and a plurality of nonrectilinear cuts in said top wall corresponding in number to said plurality of tabs, each of said cuts defining an opening in said top wall upon folding its associated extension flap in position which receives an associated tab therethrough while simultaneously defining a fastening tongue in its associated extension flap which extends in a direction opposite from the outward extension of the associated extension flap from its fold line, each of said fastening tongues having an inside surface arranged coplanar with and frictionally engaging an outside surface of an associated tab to hold the top wall closed and the associated extension flap firmly against the exterior of its sidewall to prevent said outward bulging, said tabs and tongues also cooperating to enable easy vertical stacking of a plurality of cartons by restraining an adjoining carton against lateral movement.

Claim 3

A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which said plurality of extension flaps correspond in number to the others of said plurality of sidewalls and further comprising means for locking one of said extension flaps against an associated sidewall.

Claim 4

A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said sidewalls has a rectangular configuration and is foldably connected to said bottom wall and further comprising means for locking a portion of said top wall to a cooperating sidewall to lock said top wall closed.

Claim 5

A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said sidewalls is foldably connected to said bottom wall and further comprising a plurality of gussets each connecting associated ends of a pair of sidewalls.

Claim 6

A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said tabs comprises a substantially rectangular tab, each of said nonrectilinear cuts comprises a substantially U-shaped cut having its terminal ends adjoining an associated fold line, each U-shaped cut defining a fastening tongue which corresponds in configuration and area to an associated rectangular tab, and each opening in said top wall comprising a rectangular opening defined by the area previously occupied by an associated tongue with the openings in said top wall serving as vents to prevent steaming of a hot product carried within said carton.

Claim 7

A carton as set forth in claim 1 in wHich each of said nonrectilinear cuts comprises a substantially M-shaped cut having its terminal ends adjoining an associated fold line, each M-shaped cut defining a fastening tongue having a maximum width and a comparatively small opening in said top wall.

Claim 8

A carton as set forth in claim 6 in which each M-shaped cut has its central portion extending beyond its associated fold line a distance which is slightly less than the thickness of its associated tab to thereby define an associated arcuate edge portion in said top wall which firmly engages the associated tab.

Claim 9

A carton as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising at least another nonrectilinear cut provided in said top wall and having its terminal ends adjoining the fold line between said top wall and said one sidewall, said other nonrectilinear cut defining another vent in said top wall and another fastening tongue to help restrain an adjoining carton against said lateral movement during said vertical stacking of cartons.

Claim 10

A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which said bottom wall and said top wall have identical roughly triangular configurations.

Claim 11

A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which said bottom wall and said top wall have identical trapezoidal configurations with the shorter ones of the parallel sides of said top wall and bottom wall having a width which is only a small fractional part of the width of the longer ones of the parallel sides so that said top and bottom walls are roughly triangular, said one sidewall comprising the rear wall of said carton and having the longer one of said parallel sides of said top wall foldably connected thereto, said trapezoidal bottom wall having said one sidewall extending upwardly from the longer of its parallel sides and defining a rear wall of said carton with said top wall having the longer one of its parallel sides foldably connected to said rear wall, said trapezoidal bottom wall having a small width sidewall extending upwardly from the shorter of its parallel sides and defining a front wall for said carton, and said carton further comprising a plurality of gussets each connecting associated ends of a pair of sidewalls, said front wall with its associated pair of gussets along opposite ends thereof assuring the provision of a gusseted carton having said roughly triangular configuration with said associated gussets straddling an associated product instead of interfering therewith.

Claim 12

A carton as set forth in claim 10 and further comprising a closure flap foldably connected to the shorter one of the parallel sides of said top wall, said closure flap being arranged against the exterior of the top portion of said front wall, a locking tab in said closure flap, a cooperating opening in said front wall receiving said locking tab therethrough, and a pull tab at the terminal end of said closure flap enabling easy opening of said carton.

Claim 13

A carton as set forth in claim 10 in which each of said gussets has a weakening line bisecting its area.

Claim 14

A carton as set forth in claim 12 in which each weakening line comprises a cut-score line.

Claim 15

A blank being cut and scored and adapted to be assembled to define a resulting carton upon assembly thereof, said blank comprising, a bottom wall, a plurality of sidewalls extending outwardly from said bottom wall, a plurality of tabs each extending outwardly from and being arranged coplanar with an associated sidewall, a top wall foldably connected to one of said plurality of sidewalls, a plurality of extension flaps each foldably connected to said top wall along an associated fold line, each of said extension flaps being arranged against the exterior top portion of an associated sidewall in said resulting carton to prevent outward bulging thereof, a plurality of nonrectilinear cuts in said top wall corresponding in number to said plurality of tabs, each of said cuts defining an opening in said top wall upon folding its associated extension flap in position which receives an associated tab therethrouGh in said resulting carton while simultaneously defining a fastening tongue in its associated extension flap which extends in a direction opposite from the outward extension of the associated extension flap from its fold line, each of said fastening tongues having in inside surface arranged coplanar with and frictionally engaging an outside surface of an associated tab in said resulting carton to hold the top wall closed and the associated extension flap firmly against the exterior of its sidewall to prevent said outward bulging, said tabs and tongues also cooperating in said resulting carton to enable easy vertical stacking of a plurality of cartons by restraining an adjoining carton against lateral movement.

Claim 16

A blank being cut and scored and adapted to be assembled to define a resulting carton upon assembly thereof, said blank comprising, a bottom wall, a plurality of sidewalls extending outwardly from said bottom wall, a plurality of tabs each extending outwardly from and being arranged coplanar with an associated sidewall, a top wall foldably connected to one of said plurality of sidewalls, a plurality of extension flaps each foldably connected to said top wall along an associated fold line, each of said extension flaps being arranged against the exterior top portion of an associated sidewall in said resulting carton to prevent outward bulging thereof, a plurality of nonrectilinear cuts in said top wall corresponding in number to said plurality of tabs, each of said cuts defining an opening in said top wall upon folding its associated extension flap in position which receives an associated tab therethrouGh in said resulting carton while simultaneously defining a fastening tongue in its associated extension flap which extends in a direction opposite from the outward extension of the associated extension flap from its fold line, each of said fastening tongues having in inside surface arranged coplanar with and frictionally engaging an outside surface of an associated tab in said resulting carton to hold the top wall closed and the associated extension flap firmly against the exterior of its sidewall to prevent said outward bulging, said tabs and tongues also cooperating in said resulting carton to enable easy vertical stacking of a plurality of cartons by restraining an adjoining carton against lateral movement.

Claim 17

A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which said plurality of extension flaps correspond in number to the others of said plurality of sidewalls and further comprising means for locking one of said extension flaps against an associated sidewall in said resulting carton.

Claim 18

A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which each of said sidewalls is foldably connected to said bottom wall and further comprising a plurality of gussets each connecting associated ends of a pair of sidewalls.

Claim 19

A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which each of said nonrectilinear cuts comprises a substantially M-shaped cut having its terminal ends adjoining an associated fold line, each M-shaped cut defining a fastening tongue having a maximum width and a comparatively small opening in the top wall of said resulting carton.

Claim 20

A blank as set forth in claim 17 in which each M-shaped cut has its central portion extending beyond its associated fold line a distance which is slightly less than the thickness of a tab associating therewith in said resulting carton to thereby define an associated arcuate edge portion in the top wall of said resulting carton which firmly engages the associated tab.

Claim 21

A blank as set forth in claim 14 and further comprising at least another nonrectilinear cut provided in said top wall and having its terminal ends adjoining the fold line between said top wall and said one sidewall, said other nonrectilinear cut defining another vent in the top wall of said resulting carton and another fastening tongue to help restrain an adjoining carton against said lateral movement during said vertical stacking of cartons.

Claim 22

A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which said bottom wall and said top wall have identical roughly triangular configurations.

Claim 23

A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which said bottom wall and said top wall have identical trapezoidal configurations with the shorter ones of the parallel sides of said top wall and bottom wall having a width which is only a small fractional part of the width of the longer ones of the parallel sides so that said top and bottom walls are roughly triangular, said one sidewalls comprising the rear wall of said resulting carton and having the longer one of said parallel sides of said top wall foldably connected thereto, said trapezoidal bottom wall having said one sidewall extending upwardly from the longer of its parallel sides and defining a rear wall of said resulting carton with said top wall having the longer one of its parallel sides foldably connected to said rear wall, said trapezoidal bottom wall having a small width sidewall extending upwardly from the shorter of its parallel sides and defining a front wall for said resulting carton, and said blank further comprising a plurality of gussets each connecting associated ends of a pair of sidewalls, said front wall with its associated pair of gussets along opposite ends thereof assuring the provision of a gusseted resulting carton having said roughly triangular configuration with said associated gussets straddling an associated product instead of interfering therewith.

Claim 24

A blank as set forth in claim 21 and further comprising a closure flap foldably connected to the shorter one of the parallel sides of said top wall, said closure flap being arranged against the exterior of the top portion of said front wall in said resulting carton, a locking tab in said closure flap, a cooperating opening in said front wall for receiving said locking tab therethrough, and a pull tab at the terminal end of said closure flap enabling easy opening of said resulting carton.